Device for stopping the conveyance of punched cards



Oct. 26, 1965 E. EISSFELDT 3,213,993

DEVICE FOR STOPPING THE CONVEYANQE OEMBUNGHED CARDS Filed March 11, 1963 United States Patent 3,213,998 DEVICE FOR STOPPING THE CONVEYANCE OF PUNCHED CARDS Erich Eissfeldt, Munich, Germany, assignor to Siemens & Halske Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin and Munich, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,308 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 20, 1962, S 78,563 Claims. (Cl. 198-20) The invention disclosed herein is concerned with a device for conveying punched cards and the like, comprising means for selectively stopping conveyance of individual cards.

It is in punched card processing systems sometimes necessary to interrupt the flow of cards and to stop cards contained in the system. The corresponding command is to be given either under control of an operator or is to be released automatically, that is, by the operation of a given group of components included in the system. This is in known punched card processing machines effected by stopping all advance or feed rollers and card stripper,

members, which is up to a card speed amounting to 1 meter per second readily possible. However, owing to the mass forces which become operative in the case of card speeds exceeding 3 meters per second, the desired stopping of cards cannot be achieved in this manner when it is, for example, desired that the card following the one which is scanned (read out) last shall not advance to the readout (scanning) device.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties by the provision of brake means, arranged along regions of the path of conveyance of punched cards, for applying braking force to a desired card so as to stop the advance thereof, means for mounting one or more card-drive pressure rollers so as to be movable, for withdrawal thereof from a region of the card advance path at which the braking is to be effected, and means for mounting said brake means so as to be movable, after a braking operation, for withdrawal thereof from the braking region, so as to effect the restart of the conveyance of the cards. Neither the drive gear for the rollers nor the rollers as such need be stopped to effect the desired card-stopping operation. The braking action and the restarting of the card advance, respectively, are eifected without any particular delay.

According to another feature of the invention, given pressure drive rollers and the movable parts of the brake means, are operatively controlled by electromagnets. The forces required for restoring to normal the movable parts of the respective electromagnets-usually the armatures, while the corresponding coils are fixedly connected with a stationary part of a frame-may be in known manner supplied by suitable springs or by the action of auxiliary windings of the respective electromagnets. The arrangement is simple and can be readily adapted to satisfy posed requirements.

According to a further feature of the invention, the electromagnets are operatively controlled by photoelectric scanning means. The card advance or conveying device is thus completely relieved of control functions having to do with timed energization of the electromagnets. The record carrier itself, such as a punched card, is utilized forautomatically releasing the control operations for stopping its advance, for determining the instant of energization of the electromagnets, and for automatically determining whether or not its advance or conveyance should or should not be stopped.

According to still another feature of the invention, the photoelectric scanning device is operatively effective responsive to the appearance of the leading edge of the record carrier which is being conveyed, thus utilizing for 3,213,998 Patented Oct. 26, 1965 ice the timing of the stopping thereof a peculiarity which is present in the case of any kind of card shaped record carrier.

Further details of the invention will appear from the description which is rendered below with reference to the accompanying drawing showing in schematic representation an embodiment thereof.

More particularly, the drawing shows a schematic overall view including parts of a punched tape processing system.

The illustrated system is designed for advancing or conveying punched cards 1 from a magazine 2 to a reading (scanning) region or position 3 and from there for disposal in filing compartments (not shown). The path 4 of conveyance of the cards extends along a region 5, next to the magazine 2, such region forming part of the card withdrawal device, thereupon extending along a region 6 disposed between the region 5 and the readout or card-scanning position 3. Scanning means 7, 8 and 9 are respectively positioned along the regions 5, 6 and 3, for photoelectrically scanning diverse information on the respective punched cards passing therealong.

Brake members 10 and 11 are respectively disposed within the regions 6 and 3 along the card conveying path 4. These brake members are operatively actuated by electromagnets respectively indicated by numerals 12 and 13, for exerting pressure on the respective card-guide means 14, 15 so as to hold the corresponding punched cards against further motion. Rollers 16 to 21 are provided for conveying the punched cards, rollers 16 to 18 operating continuously, while the rollers 19 to 21 can be withdrawn from engagement with the respective cards under control of electromagnets indicated respectively at 24, 25 and 26. Accordingly, the brake members 10 and 11 and the rollers 19 to 21 can assume two positions. The forces for positionally moving the respective brake members and rollers in operatively eifective direction are in each case supplied by corresponding windings of the respective electromagnets and in the other (restoring motion) by one of the respective windings and by spring means which is tensioned during the operative actuation.

The illustrated arrangement gives the possibility of interrupting the flow of punched cards along the conveying path, with the last scanned card 22 in the advanced position attained thereby, or with the next following card 23 in the attained position, depending upon joint energization of the brake electromagnets 12 and 13, while energization of only the electromagnet 12 will stop the advance of the card 23 while permitting further advance of the card 22. The flow of cards can thus be selectively effected either at the region 6 or 3 or at both of these regions.

The scanning means 8 and if desired also the scanning means 9 serves for photoelectrically scanning the leading edge of the respective punched cards moving away from the magazine 2, and delivers upon arrival of a card an impuse which can be in known manner readily utilized for accurately determining the instant of operation of the respective brake electromagnets 12 and 13, thus determining the accurate instant for the braking operation for the punched cards. The electromagnets 24, 25 and in given cases also the electromagnet 26, are operatively actuated jointly with the actuation of the brake electromagnets 12 and 13, respectively, for the purpose of moving the rollers 19, 20 and in a given case also the roller 21, away from the conveying path 4, so that the action of the respective brake members can become properly effective.

The scanning of the punched cards with respect to the data contained thereon, is effected at the readout station or position 3, by the photoelectric means 9. The scanning means 7 serves for controlling the card Withdrawal mechanism at the magazine 2. All electrical and control circuits for the various parts as well as all mechanical details required, may be constructed in accordancewith well known and approved practice.

Changes may be made within the scope and spirit of the appended claims which define what is believed to be new and desired -to have protected -by "Letters Patent.

I claim:

1. An arrangement for selectively stopping the motion of desired punched cards being conveyed, one by one, along a desired path with respect to'a .card .readout position, comprising spaced apart drive rollers for moving cards along said path through defined regions :t'hereof, brake means disposed along the respective regions, mvable from an inoperative position to a braking position and vice versa operative toexert a braking ,force on at least one card thereat and stop the conveying movement of such'cards, said driveirollers being operably actuatable I from a'card-driving position and vice versa to an inoperable position, and actuating means "for moving selected braking means to operative braking position, and simultaneously effect operative disengagement of corresponding rollers with a card to which such braking forces are applied, and to eifect card driving engagement of conesponding rollers when such braking forces are not applied.

2. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for actuating said braking means and for controlling said driving rollers comprises respective electromagnets.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said movable rollers and said brake means are respectively connected with movable parts of the corresponding electromagnets.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, comprising photoelectric scanning means for controlling the operation of the respective electromagnets.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said photoelectric scanning means responds operatively to the appearance of the leading edge of a punched card which is being conveyed along said path.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,708,514 5/55 Maul 209- 2,985,298 5/ 61 Achreiver 209-110 2,987,181 6/61 Brauscomb 209-110 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM B. LABORDE, Examiner. 

1. AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SELECTIVELY STOPPING THE MOTION OF DESIRED PUNCHED CARDS BEING CONVEYED, ONE BY ONE, ALONG A DESIRED PATH WITH RESPECT TO A CARD READOUT POSITION, COMPRISING SPACED APART DRIVE ROLLERS FOR MOVING CARDS ALONG SAID PATH THROUGH DEFINED REGIONS THEREOF, BRAKE MEANS DISPOSED ALONG THE RESPECTIVE REGIONS, MOVABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION TO A BRAKING POSITION AND VICE VERSA OPERATIVE TO EXERT A BRAKING FORCE ON AT LEAST ONE CARD THREAT AND STOP THE CONVEYING MOVEMENT OF SUCH CARDS, SAID DRIVE ROLLERS BEING OPERABLY ACTUATABLE FROM A CARD-DRIVING POSITION AND VICE VERSA TO AN INOPERABLE POSITION, AND ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING SELECTED BRAKING MEANS TO OPERATIVE BRAKING POSITION, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY EFFECT OPERATIVE DISENGAGEMENT OF CORRESPONDING ROLLERS WITH A CARD TO WHICH SUCH BRAKING FORCES ARE APPLIED, AND TO EFFECT CARD DRIVING ENGAGEMENT OF CORRESPONDING ROLLERS WHEN SUCH BRAKING FORCES ARE NOT APPLIED. 